HGFA Skysailor Magazine

2 SKY SAILOR July | August 2019 CLG Update As members will now be aware, the recent Special General Meeting voted strongly to support our change of governance structure from an Incorporated Association to a Company Limited by Guarantee and work has commenced to make the implementation of this a reality. Members will begin to notice some changes as we convert from the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia to, the Sports Aviation Federation of Australia (SAFA). Our staff and Committee members alike are putting in long hours at present to meet the business as usual needs of our organisation and its members as well as transition from the old to the new in a timely and professional manner. This transition is being accompanied by an ongoing review of our management documents to ensure they remain relevant to the needs of today and to meet the higher standards expected under our new governance structure. We are also taking the time to ensure that the documents, systems, policies, procedures and management protocols align with our strategic plan at all levels of our sport. Database Support for State Associations & Clubs Our hard working volunteers in State Associations and Clubs may not be aware but the HGFA/SAFA provide a free web based club membership system to help you manage your membership. Clubs currently using the system include the Manilla Sky Sailors and the North East Victoria HG Club (Bright). I am sure officials from these clubs will be happy to assist anyone interested in getting a good understanding of the system and its functionality. Please email Operations Manager Brett Coupland to gain access to the system. Kevin Gilligan Many members will be aware that long-time Far North Qld HG & WSM CFI and Proprietor of Updraft Microlights & Hang Gliding School in Port Douglas, Kevin Gilligan, passed away recently. Kevin was one of the pioneers of our sport, commencing as a HG pilot in Melbourne in 1970 before moving to Port Douglas in the Far North. He was a legend not just in his local region but across the HGFA community around Australia. His family, none of whom fly, are seeking to dispose of his flying assets and have placed a classified in this edition of SkySailor which I encourage interested members to read. CASA Biennial Audit The HGFA/SAFA is one of nine Self Administering Organisations who are supervised by CASA under a Deed of Agreement. This Deed is audited every two years and the next one is imminent. This is a process where CASA look at every aspect of our obligations under the Deed to ensure compliance with its contents. It is a very welcome process for our organisation. It can highlight strengths and deficiencies in the manner in which we regulate and supervise our disciplines and often changes to our Ops Manual occur as a result of issues identified during the audit process. The audit process is also a very important way for us to show CASA that we continue to deserve our Self Administering status. I mention this because we are sometimes reminded by members that we have a lot of rules and we should be looking to have less. Whilst we all have empathy with that sentiment the reality is that we are participants in aviation – it is a complex activity involving many participants across the entire spectrum of air based activity and the number one issue for CASA is safety. That is enshrined in legislation. So I ask our members to be mindful of this and to be patient when we make changes to the rules we operate under – we want everyone to have fun, fly safely and continue to maintain the respectful relationship we enjoy with other airspace users and our regulator CASA. President’s Update by Paul Green At Wings over Illawarra

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